Combined perforator and handle



July 14, 1931. w MUELLER 1,814,487

COMBINED PERFORATOR AND HANDLE Filed March 14, 1929 Patented July 14, 1931 ARTHUR W. MUELLER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO COMBINED PERFORATOR AND HANDLE Application filed March 14, 1929. Serial No. 347,151.

Certain liquids are delivered to customers in sealed cans, the cans being usually of tinned sheet metal, but they may be of other material. Condensed milk may be instanced as an example of the liquid. The user of the sealed canned'liquid usually punches one or more holes into the can by the use of an we pick, clasp knife, nail, hatchet or other handy instrument, two holes being usually punched,

one for a pouring hole and the other serving as a vent hole.

The use of ,such promiscuous tools for punching holes in the can is dangerous and wasteful, owing to the slipping of the 1nstrument on the can the unwieldiness of the instrument, punching the hole not only through the top but also through the bottom of the can, and punching the holes of irregular shape and abnormal size.

It is the object of my invention to provide a convenient combined perforator and handle so arranged that the can is provided with perforations of proper size and form for economical use of the contents, and for holding the 5 can during pouring of the same; further, to provide a handle and perforating part so related as to hold the perforated portion of the can between them while pouring from the can; and, further, to provide a cooperative notched perforating part and a resilient holding part for clampingly holding the perforated portion of the can between them.

It is the object of my invention further, to provide a novel combination of handle, ful- 5 crum and perforating part arranged to be clampingly held to the can for manipulating the can in pouring therefrom; further, to provide a spout forming portion on the tool; and, further, to provide a novel spout forming portion comprising a wiping lip and a fulcrum lip arranged to receive the edge of the can and the margin of the hole punched by the perforating part between said lips for bending said edge and said margin into the form of a spout.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same about to be connected to a can on which the spout has been previously formed, and shown in connection with a can, the later partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my improved device shown connected with a can, the latter being shown in section in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 6, and partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the plane of the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of a detail of the same, taken in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 6. a

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a detail of my improved device, taken in the plane of the line 8.8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of my improved device, showing its spout forming portion in connection with a can, the latter shown in section and partly broken away, and the spout forming portion shown in relation for beginning the spout formation.

Fig. 10 is a similar view, and showing the spout partly formed; and,

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the can, showing the spout completely formed.

The body 21 of my improved device comprises a handle portion 22, an upright shank 28 and an overhanging shank 24. These parts are preferably formed out of a single strip of sheet metal, for instance cold rolled steel. The handle portion is formed as a loop, from the lower portion of which the upright shank 22 extends upwardly, the connection between the loop and the upright shank being preferably by means of a bow portion 25.

The overhanging shank preferably has its outer end 26 bent into a lower plane than the plane in which the upper end of the handle is located, as by means of the bent section 27. This outer end forms a fulcrum portion coacting with the top 28 of the can 29. The side wall of the can is shown at 30. The top is provided with a usual annular flange 31, received over the top margin of the side wall.

A perforating part 35 is rovided, and is shown depending from t e overhanglng shank adjacent to the upright port on 23. The upper end of the upright portion is preferably held resiliently toward the perforating part. The resiliency is preferably obtamed either in the material or by the bow portion 25.

The perforating part is provided with a perforating point 36, above which there 1s an inclined face 37, and above the latter a notch 38, the inclined face and the notch bein presented toward the upright shank.

e perforating part is shown as a pm which is annular in cross-section and which tapers from a bulge 39 thereon to the perforating point, and is provided with an annular groove, which forms the notch. The

in is provided with a reduced end 40 to orm a shoulder 41, the reduced end being received through a hole 42 in the overhanging shank, and being upset in rivet form upon said shank, as at 43, for fixing the pin to the shank.

The upright shank is provided with side contact faces 45 at the respective sides of the pin, for coacting with the curved outer wall of the can to resist tilting between the can and the handle.

The overhanging shank is provided with a spout bending portion 51, which comprises a wiping lip 52 and'a fulcrum lip 53, having an indenting portion 54, there being a recess 55 between said lips for receiving the edge 56 of the can and the proximate portion of the margin 57 of the hole 58 formed in the can by the perforating part.

The wiping lip 52 is provided with'a reentrant recess 59 for receiving the extreme edge of the can and forming a wiping nose 60 at the inner margin of the wiping lip, for acting upon said margin portion for pressing said margin portion toward the edge of the can, and curling over said margin portion and the edge of the can, and bending the same laterally outwardly with relation to the cylinder or body of the can for forming a spout 61. The hole 58 is shown formed in the top 28 of the can.

The fulcrum lip is received against the side of the can, it being shown received under the lower edge of the flange 31. As the handle end of my improved device is depressed after the wiping lip has been received in the hole 58 formed in the top of the can, as shown in Fig. 9, the formation of the spout begins, and then continues as shown in Fig. 10. The final wiping action of the wiping lip forms the spout as shown in Fig. 11. The fulcrum lip 53 and the indenting portion 54 thereof presses the portion of the side of the can below said lip inwardly as shown by the inward bulge 62.

The spout formed permits ready pouring of the liquid, for instance condensed milk, out of the can, and prevents beads or dro s forming on the spout, and also prevents the liquid from running down the side of the can, and avoids the waste of liquid.

In operation, my improved device is placed with its handle in upright position and the resilient shank in upright position alongside the side wall of the can, with the perforating point of the perforating part presented to the top of the can. It will be noted from Fig. 4, that the resilient shank is in such relation close to the perforating part. Downward pressure is then applied upon my im proved device, as by pressure of the fin er or thumbupon the handle or upon the evice above the perforating part, or by means of a blow by the fist at such parts, for causing the perforating part to enter the top of the can and form a hole therein.

As the perforating point enters the top of the can, the inclined face 37 causes movement of the erforating part away from the side wall 0 the can proximate thereto by coaction with the margin of the hole being formed. This causes a spacing between the perforating part and the resilient shank, and entering of the upper portion of the side wall 30, the flange 31 and the portion of the margin 57 proximate thereto between said p erfo g'ating part and said shank, as shown in The perforating part is then withdrawn from this hole, as by upward pressure upon the handle or by tilting or wiggling of the handle, for releasing the device from the can. The pouring holeis thus formed.

The spout forming portion of the tool is then employed to form the spout for this hole, as by entering the wiping lip 52 into the hole, as shown in Fig. 9, and pressing downwardly upon the outer end of the tool, for

causing coaction between the fulcrum lip 53 of the tool and its indenting portion 54 with the side wall of the can, and the bending of the upper edge of said side wall, the flange 31 and theportion of the margin 57 adjacent thereto laterally away from the cylinder or body of the can to form the spout, as shown in Fig. 10.

The portion of the margin of the hole adjacent to the upper edge of the can is pressed toward said upper edge of the can for pressing together the three layers of metal instanced at that oint, and further downward pressure upon t e outer end of the tool completes the formation of said spout and the indenting of the portion of the side wall of the can therebelow, as shown in Fig. 11.

The perforating part of my improved device is then caused to enter the top of the can, at that side of the can opposite to that at which the previously perforated hole and spout are located. The perforating part is caused to enter said top as hereinbefore explained. When said perforating part has been entered, the outer portion of the margin 57 formed by the hole is received in the notch 38, the resilient part of my improved device causing pressure between the handle portion or upwardly extending shank and the perforating part for causing the said portion of the margin to be retained in said notch with pressure sufficient to manipulate the can.

11 this relation the fulcrum part 26 of my improved device engages the top of the can.

The can when lifted is suspended from my improved device by theclamping pressure between the upright shank and the perforating part, the reception of'the margin of the hole in the perforating part, and the pressure between the top of the can and the fulcrum art. p The side contact faces 45 at the respective sides of the perforating part between the upright shank and the side wall of the can prevents tilting movement between the can and the handle when lifting the can by means of the handle and pouring from the can.

When the outer portion of the margin 57 of the hole 58 is received in the notch 38, the perforating part moves toward the outer portion of said hole, for presenting a vent 64 in said hole. for permitting ready pouring from the spout. The said notch is also located lower than the overhanging shank 24, to space said overhanging shank from the top of the can by the space 65, the said space being also emphasized by the bend 27 in the overhanging part of the shank to form the fulcrum part 26. a

The holes formed by my improved device are of proper and uniform size and shape for proper pouring and venting, and for having a proper film of the contents, for instance, condensed milk, formed thereover, as by shaking the can, for sealing the can by means of said film between uses of the can. These films are readily ruptured when it is desired to use the can.

presented toward said resilient portion, and

said resilient portion arranged to press said perforating part toward the side of the can for locating the margin of the hole made by said perforating part in said notch.

2. A combined can perforator and handle comprising a handle portion provided with a resilient part, and a perforating part having a piercing point, an inclined face and a notch presented toward said resilient part, said inclined face arranged to coact with the portion of the can being pierced for causing lateral pressure upon said resilient part and separation between said perforating part and in said notch, said resilient part causing pressure between the wall of said notch and said margin, and said resilient part provided with contact-parts about the curvature of the side of the can at the res ective sides of said notch for laterally stead ying said can on said handle.

4. A combined can perforator and handle comprising a body bent up from a strip of metal into a handle portion, an upright resilient portion and an overhanging shank provided with a fulcrum portion for the top of the can, said upright resilient portion arranged to extend in upright direction along the side of the can, and a perforating part depending from said shank and provided with a piercing point, an inclined face above on the wall of the hole being perforated in the can for causing separation between said perforating part and said resilient portion, and said resilient part causing pressure between the wall of said notch and the margin of said hole for retaining said perforating part in said hole.

5. A combined can perforator and handle comprising a body strip formed up with an upright resilient portion arranged to be received against the side of the can, a loop portion serving as a handle, and an overhanging portion provided with a perforating part complemental to said resilient portion for holding the can and with a fulcrum part arranged to be received above the can and formed as a spout bender.

6. A combined can perforator and handle comprising a body strip formed up with an upright resilient portion arranged to be received against the side of the can, a loop portion serving as a lifting handle, and an overhanging shank provided with a fulcrum for coaction by downward pressure with the top of the can and formed as a spout bender, and a perforating pin depending from said shank between said fulcrum and said upright resilr silient portion, and said inclined face acting ient portion and provided with a notch for receiving the margin of the hole made by said perforating pin, said margin and the wall of said notch held in coactive relation by said upright resilient portion.

7. A combined tool of the character described oomprising a handle, a perforating and a spout forming part adjacent thereto portion provided with a fulcrum lip and a wiping lip receiving between them the edge of the can and the margin of the hole made in the can by said perforating part and bending said edge and said margin into a spout.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ARTHUR W. MUELLER. 

